When Railsford said the matter was a serious one, the prefect smiled deprecatingly, and said it was not pleasant to him to be spoken to in this manner, and that if Mr Railsford wished to punish him he would be glad to have it over and done with.

Railsford said that the question in his mind was whether he would allow Felgate to continue a prefect of the house.

Whereupon Felgate promptly changed colour and dropped his sneer entirely.
"I'm sure," said he, "I had no intention of hurting him.

I may have been a trifle inconsiderate, but I didn't suppose--he didn't complain to me, so I could hardly know he minded it." "I can have very little confidence in a prefect who acts as you have done, Felgate." "You may depend on me, sir, not to touch him again." "I want to depend on more than that," said the master.

"As a prefect, you hold a position of influence in the house.